A major new report released today celebrates the incredible pace of change across Sydney’s west, while highlighting the urgent need to provide more housing, skilled jobs and support for local culture.

Eamon Waterford, CEO of the Committee for Sydney, said the pace and scale of the change in Western Sydney had been nothing short of extraordinary.

“It’s easy to forget that 12 years ago there was no Western Sydney Airport being built. No light rail in Parramatta or Metro lines. Far fewer hospitals and cultural facilities.”

“This report celebrates the region’s many successes over the past 12 years – successes that have made Western Sydney a cultural, social and economic powerhouse.”

“But we’re not sugarcoating the challenges faced across the west – on key metrics, the region still lags per capita spending and that gap is set to grow. We need to ensure these fast growing centres get the support they need to reach their potential.”

Developed in collaboration between the Centre for Western Sydney, the Committee for Sydney and Deloitte, this report seeks to assess, identify and prioritise the key decisions confronting the new Labor state government, and most importantly, the residents of Western Sydney.

Tom Nance, Policy and Strategy Lead from the Centre for Western Sydney, said that although the region had progressed significantly over the last 12 years, there was still much more to do.

“Addressing the inequities that Western Sydney faces, particularly in the current fiscal environment, will require both vision and courage from politicians, industry and community.”

“The region expects investment beyond large infrastructure projects, with policy responses urgently required to improve the economic prosperity and overall quality of life for residents.”

“The potential is definitely present in our people – now all we need to do is ensure we create the conditions for them to thrive.”

In total the report makes 36 recommendations, grouped around focusing growth in town centres and rail stations, increasing connectivity, good street design, climate resilience, more jobs, cultural funding, and branding, including to:

• Invest in industries and technologies where Western Sydney can be globally competitive, and relocate more public jobs to where the talent is located in the west
• Connect the Central River City with the Metro, connect Western Sydney Airport Metro with the rest of the network and start planning crosscutting lines
• Redevelop surface parking lots to provide increased housing density in areas with high amenity, and remove clearways from the high streets
• Commit to per-capita equity of funding for arts and culture in Western Sydney, and establish an artificial intelligence and digital capability program. 

Read the report in full: Western Sydney Progress and Prospects